Track recorder mechanism



Jan. 24,1939. 7 NJMCL, TRA-PNELL Q 7 7 2,144,946

TRACK RECORDER MECHANISM Fil d Jan. 21, 1937 5 Sheets-.Sheet 1 I N V EN TOR.

BY A v W ATTORNEY Jan. 24, 1939. N. MCL. TRAPNELL' 2,144,945

TRACK RECORDER MECHANISM 7 Filed Jan. 21, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR. [We 1014s M-zm/v m /vzu BY W ATTORNEY Jan. 24, 1939. N. M L TRAPNELL- TRACK RECORDER MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 21, 1937 4 INVENTOR. NIH/0M5 M m/v TAPNEZL BY 4 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES avast PATENT OFFICE 2,144,946 TRACK RECORDER MECHANISM Application January 21, 1937, Serial No. 121,579

1'7 Claims.

This invention relates to track recorder mechanisms for recording the characteristics of railroad track. It has for its principal object the provision of such mechanism as will be more accurate, of sturdier construction, and more easily adjusted than devices heretofore employed, and which in addition will be capable, when applied to a track recorder car, of operating at any speed in either direction.

The principal measurements which my track recorder mechanism is intended to provide are, first, curvature and alignment of track, second, cross level and super-elevation, and, third, surface variations. Heretofore these measurements, particularly curvature and alignment, were taken by recording the movements of one of the regular trucks of the car with respect to the car body. The displacement of the regular car truck is so small relative to the errors introduced by spring action, gauge, and play in the truck structure, that the result has been unsatisfactory, and in most roadway inspection cars no attempt is made to record curvature. In the present invention I employ an auxiliary truckpositioned midway of the car length, so that the movements thereof upon curvature of the track are relatively great compared to any errors which may be introduced by spring action and slack or play in the trucks structure. Moreover, the invention consists in an assembly wherein such errors are held to a minimum by providing means for automatically taking up any slack or wear which may develop in the various connections.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a car which has been equipped with the track recording mecha nism constituting my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views largely diagrammatically illustrating the action of the track curvature responsive mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a plan View similar to Figs. 2 and 3 but somewhat enlarged to show the details of the mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a view partly sectioned vertically through the recorder truck shown in the preceding figures.

Fig. 6 is in part a diagrammatic perspective and in part a side elevation of a chart driving mechanism and the cross-level indicating mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is disclosed a railroad car ill mounted upon the usual trucks H at the forward and rear ends of the car. The mechanism which responds to the track characteristics is shown in the form of an auxiliary truck indicated generally at 15, positioned preferably midway between the end trucks II. The said truck may consist of a frame l6 having journal boxes I], within which is journaled for rotation an axle l8 without, however, allowing any of the usual journal box clearances other than the clearance necesasry to permit rotation of said axle. This is for the reason that the movements of the axle are transmitted with minimum loss to the truck which in turn is designed to actuate suitable indicators, to be described. The shaft l'8 carries the wheels l9 whereby the truck l5 rides on the rails. The truck [5 does not carry any of the load of the car It) other than a pressure sufficient to maintain the truck in firm engagement with the track. For this purpose, the car-body I0 is provided with guide tracks in the form of channels extending cross-wise of the car on the under side thereof and adapted to have operate therein rollers 21 supported for rotation on stub shafts 22 (see Fig. 5) in bearing members 23 on a bolster 24 having a plurality of downwardly extending cylindrical pistons 25. Said pistons operate within upwardly extending cylindrical sleeves or casings 26 carried by the truck frame 16. Suitable springs 21 are enclosed between the pistons 25 and the sleeves 25 whereby a predetermined pressure of the car body may be applied through rollers 2| and bolster 24 to the truck frame [6 to maintain the same in firm engagement with the rails. The bolster may be held in place on the truck,. even when the latter is removed from under the car, by mechanism consisting of a bolt, spring and nut 28, 29, 30.

As above described, the recorder truck I5 is free to move laterally of the car body and may also tilt about a horizontal longitudinal axis. It is constrained against rotation around the vertical axis by reason of the engagement of the rollers 2| in the tracks 20 and also by reason of the method of attachment of said truck to the car body. Said last-named method of attachment may consist of two pairs of draw-bars 3B, 30 extending forwardly and rearwardly of the car body. Each draw-bar is connected at its inner end to one end of a lever 35, 3| which is pivoted at its center at 32, 32. At their outer ends the draw-bars are connected to the car-body by brackets 34 through a universal joint comprising the horizontal pivot 35 and the vertical pivot 36. The connection of the draw-bars to the vertical pivot 36 may be made through a tie-rod yoke 31 fixed to a yoke-rod 38 and carrying a spring seat 39 at its other end movable in a spring yoke 40. A spring 4| is positioned between the yoke 4ll and the spring seat 39. This assembly allows for the tilting of the truck, and the springs provide for the necessary stretch or lengthening of the draw-bars when the truck is displaced laterally or vertically from its normal position relative to the car-body. The springs further serve to keep the draw-bar system in tension, thus automatically taking up any slack or wear which may develop in the various connections, and when the truck is displaced laterally they tend to restore the truck to central position.

The levers 3| and 3| are normally in the position shown in Fig. 2, that is, symmetrically disposed with respect to both the longitudinal and transverse axes. However, when the car enters upon a curve as shown in Fig. 3, the truck |5 is moved laterally with respect to the car body and since the pivots 39 are carried by the car body, the levers 3| and 3| rotate around their pivots 32 and 32' in opposite directions. The said movement of the levers 3| and 3| around the pivots 32 and 32' serves to extend one set of springs 42 and compress another set of springs. Said springs are contained within cylinders 43 mounted on the truck frame I6 and operate between pistons M carried by rods 45 fixed to the outer ends 46 of the levers 3|, 3|. The tension and compression of said springs 42 serve to exert a restoring torque on the levers 3| and 3| until the truck is in the Fig. 2 position, in which position the springs are neutral, that is, neither under compression nor tension.

From the above description, it will be apparent that when the recording car enters upon a portion of curved track, the recorder truck I5 is moved laterally with respect to the car body a distance which is a maximum because of the fact that the said movement of the truck is equivalent to the length of the middle ordinate of an arc subtended by a chord equal in length to the distance between the centers of the two end trucks. The truck is always held against the inner rail by reason of the tension of the centralizing springs 42, the drawbar springs 4|, and the attachment of the yokes 49 to the vertical pivots 36 on the car body.

For giving an indication of the degree of lateral movement of truck l5 and hence the degree of curvature of the track, there may be provided a suitable indicating mechanism which in the pres ent instance may take the form of a recording chart 50 adapted to travel across the surface of a table 5| past guide rollers 52. The chart may be supplied from a supply roll 54 and wound upon a receiving roller 55 by means of any suitable driving mechanism which bears a predetermined relation to the travel of the car. For this purpose, the chart may be driven from shaft |8 of the recorder truck through suitable gearing and shafts indicated generally at 56 to 66, inclusive, within which are contained suitable pivoted and telescoping joints to allow for the various movements of the truck. The gear 66 may drive a belt 61 connected to a gear 68 on the shaft of receiving roller 55. As the chart progresses across the table in fixed relation to the rate of movement of the car, the lateral movements of the truck i5, indicating variations in curvature and alignment of truck, may be transmitted to said chart by means of a link l9 pivoted at one end by a fork H to the truck frame and fixed at its other end to a shaft 12 extending upwardly alongside the recording table and carrying an arm 73 having a forked connection 14 with a pen arm 15. Members T and 12 may be provided with suitable telescoping joints to permit relative movement between the truck and the car-body. The said pen arm 15 has a pen P at its forward end which normally draws a straight line on the moving chart but when lateral movement of the recording truck I5 occurs the said pen is moved out of its position to indicate the variation in curvature or alignment.

The fact that shaft I3 on the truck frame l6 moves practically as a rigid member with only sufiicient clearance to allow shaft IE to rotate, enables the recording truck to be used as an effective cross-level indicator. For this purpose there may be provided a pair of rollers 30 in engagement witha cross-bar 8| fixed on the truck frame, said rollers being carried at the lower ends of links 82 pivotally connected at their upper ends to the ends of a cross-bar B3. Said cross-bar has fixed thereto at its central point a pivotpost M which is connected to a crosshead 85 constrained to move vertically within a guide 86 and normally pulled downwardly by means such as spring 81. Thus the rollers 89 are always held in firm engagement with the cross-bar 8| to partake the movements thereof. Cross-bar 83 has fixed to the central point thereof a post 88 which carries an arm 89 at its upper end at right angles thereto, said arm extending within a vertical slot 99 in a link 9|, which link is constrained to movement of translation by means of horizontal bars 92 extending into fixed horizontal bearings 93, so that the slot 90 always is parallel to the slot in guide 86. Link 9| carries therewith an arm 99 connected to the upper end of an arm 95 which arm exends at right angles from a bar 96 pivoted within bearings 91. The bar 99 has connected therewith a link 98 which is pivotally connected to a link 99 which is in turn pivotally connected to an arm I09. Said arm I99 is pivotally con nected at its lower end to a fixed bearing |9| and at its upper end I92 is pivotally connected to a pen arm I03 Which carries pen P' at its lower end and which is adapted to rotate around pivot I04 which is held in fixed position by means of link I95 connected to a post Hi6 carried by the casing of a gyroscope G. The terms vertical and horizontal as used in this paragraph mean vertical and horizontal when the car-body is level.

From the above description it is apparent that when there is a difference in cross level between the rails of a track, the truck, car-body and the entire linkage system between the truck and the car-body described in the preceding paragraph will rotate as a unit around the gyroscope which remains fixed in space. Another way of looking at this condition is that the gyro and vertical post I06 have an apparent rotation in a direction opposite to that in which the difference in cross level has rotated the car truck and car-body. Thus, suppose that the tilt causes clock-wise rotation of the truck and car-body. There will be an apparent counterclock-wise rotation of the gyro and post E96 with respect to the table, carbody and the previously described linkage. This will cause link I05 to move lever I93 to operate the pen P on the chart 59 in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of said chart. So that whereas pen P normally traces a straight line on the chart, the difference in cross-level will cause the pin P to be moved out of the straight line to indicate the presence of cross level. The degree of movement of pen P on the chart away from the normal position will be a measure of the degree of difference in cross-level.

It will be apparent also that if the car-body should sway, that is, if the car-body should rotate relative to the truck, there would also occur movement of pen P with respect to the chart were it not for the linkage which inter-connects the carbody and the truck. This car sway tends to rotate the entire linkage system with respect to the gyro and the post I06, which would cause movement of pen P. However, sway of the car-body, as distinct from rotation of the car-body due to difference in cross level, causes relative movement between the car-body and the truck. This causes the links 82 which are in engagement with the truck through rollers and cross-bar 8|, to rotate cross-bar 83 and cause rotation of the linkage 88 to IE3 in such direction as to move pen P' in a direction equal and opposite to the movement which the swaying of the car-body would otherwise cause. Thus, for instance, if the car-body should sway in a clock-Wise direction (looking from right to left in Fig. 6) the gyro and its fixed post I06 would be moved in a counterclock-wise direction to move pen P around pivot I82 to the left with respect to the chart. However, such clock-wise rotation of the car-body caused by sway would cause counterclock-wise rotation of cross-bar 83 and hence cause counter-clock-wise movement of the linkage system 88 to I80 inclusive to cause the upper end of pen arm I03 to move counter-clock-wise and hence cause pen P to move around pivot I84 toward the right. The linkage is so designed that the movement of pen P in a counter-clock-wise direction as caused by the tilting of cross-bar 83 is equal and opposite to the clock-wise movement which the swaying of the car-body in a clock-wise direction tended to move the said pen. The same is true if the carbody should tilt in a counter-clock-wise direction, the various directions described above merely being reversed. Thus it will be seen that the cross level indication is rendered independent of swaying of the car-body, that is, relative rotation of the car-body with respect to the car truck.

If both links 82 move upwardly and downwardly at the same time, due to such cause as car bounce, no rotation of cross-bar 83 takes place and the arm 89 merely moves freely within the slot 90 so that no movement is imparted to link 9|. Thus the cross-level indication is rendered independent not only of car sway but also of car bounce.

Since the recording truck partakes of the vertical rise and fall in the track, and since this movement will cause links 82 to rise and fall and hence cause the crosshead to rise and fall with respect to the car-body, such movements may be recorded for the purpose of indicating differences in surface in the track. For this purpose, the pivot 84 may be extended through crosshead 85 to provide an arm 84' which may engage in the forked end N0 of an arm HI carried by a cross bar H2 pivoted in fixed bearings H3, said crossbar I I2 carrying at its other end an arm i M which has forked connection at H5 with the end of a pen arm H6 carrying a pen P" adjacent pen P on the chart C. It will be apparent from this described linkage that vertical movements of the crosshead 85 due to variations in surface elevation of the track will cause pen P to be moved laterally with respect to chart C to give a continuous indication of surface elevation.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the principle and operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other equivalent means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may bealtered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an intermediate auxiliary truck mounted thereon between said front and rear trucks, means whereby said auxiliary truck is movably mounted on said car, said means including means for constraining said auxiliary truck to movement of translation substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the car, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to said movements of said auxiliary truck.

2. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an auxiliary truck mounted thereon midway between said front and rear trucks, means whereby said auxiliary truck is movably mounted on said car, said means including means for constraining said auxiliary truck to movement of translation substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the car, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating meansis actuated in response to said movements of said auxiliary truck.

3. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an intermediate auxiliary truck mounted thereon between said front and rear trucks, means whereby said auxiliary truck is mounted on said car for movement laterally with respect to the car and for movement around the longitudinal axis lengthwise of the car, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to said movements of said auxiliary truck.

4. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an auxiliary truck mounted midway between said front and rear trucks, means whereby said auxiliary truck is mounted on said car for movement laterally with respect to the car and for movement around the longitudinal axis lengthwise of the car, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to said movements of said auxiliary truck.

5. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an intermediate auxiliary truck mounted thereon between said front and rear trucks, means whereby said auxiliary truck is mounted on said car for movement laterally with respect to the car, vertically with respect to the car, and for movement around a longitudinal axis lengthwise of the car, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to said movements of said auxiliary truck.

6. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an auxiliary truck mounted thereon midway between said front and rear trucks, means whereby said auxiliary truck is mounted on said car for movement laterally with respect to the car, vertically with respect to the car, and for movement around a longitudinal axis lengthwise of the car, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to said movements of said auxiliary truck.

7. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an intermediate auxiliary truck between said front and rear trucks, and means whereby said auxiliary truck is mounted on said car, said means comprising a plurality of forwardly and rearwardly extending draw-bars connected at one end to said auxiliary truck and having means at their other end for connecting the same to the car, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to movements of said auxiliary truck.

8. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an intermediate auxiliary truck between said front and rear trucks, and means whereby said auxiliary truck is mounted on said car, said means comprising a plurality of forwardly and rearwardly extending draw-bars pivotally connected at one end to said auxiliary truck and having resilient means at their other end for connecting the same to the car and for maintaining said bars under tension, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to movements of said auxiliary truck.

9. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an intermediate auxiliary truck between said front and rear trucks, and means whereby said auxiliary truck is mounted on said car, said means comprising a plurality of forwardly and rearwardly extending draw-bars pivotally connected at one end to said auxiliary truck and having resilient means at their other end for connecting the same to the car and for maintaining said bars under tension, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to movements of said auxiliary truck.

10. A truck recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an intermediate auxiliary truck between said front and rear trucks, and means whereby said auxiliary truck is mounted on said car, said means comprising a plurality of forwardly and rearwardly extending draw-bars pivotally connected at one end to said auxiliary truck and having resilient means at their other end for connecting the same to the car and for maintaining said bars under tension, the lateral movements of said auxiliary truck with respect to the car causing pivotal movement of said bars with respect to the auxiliary truck, and resilient means for opposing said pivotal movement, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to lateral movements of said auxiliary truck.

11. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an intermediate auxiliary truck mounted thereon between said front and rear trucks, means carried by said auxiliary truck and said car whereby said auxiliary truck is movably mounted on said car for movement of translation substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the car, said means including transverse guide tracks and members adapted to operate in said guide tracks, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to said movements of said auxiliary truck.

12. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said, car having an intermediate auxiliary truck mounted thereon between said front and rear trucks, in-

dicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to movements of said auxiliary truck around a longitudinal axis lengthwise of the car, said last-named means including a pair of members carried by said car and adapted to engage said auxiliary truck at opposite sides thereof.

13. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an intermediate auxiliary truck mounted thereon between said front and rear trucks, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to movements of said auxiliary truck around a longitudinal axis lengthwise of the car, said last-named means including a track carried by said auxiliary truck transversely thereof, and a pair of members carried by said car and adapted to engage said transverse track at opposite ends thereof.

14. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an intermediate auxiliary truck mounted thereon between said front and rear trucks, in-

icating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to movements of said auxiliary truck around a longitudinal axis lengthwise of the car, said last-named means including a track carried by said auxiliary truck transversely thereof, and a pair of members carried by said car and having rollers at their lower ends adapted to engage said transverse track at opposite ends thereof.

15. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and reartrucks,said carhaving an intermediate auxiliarytruckmounted thereon between said front and rear trucks, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to vertical movements of said auxiliary truck to indicate surface variations, said last-named means comprising means carried by said car and adapted to engage said auxiliary truck to partake of the vertical movements thereof.

16. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said car having an intermediate auxiliary truck mounted thereon between said front and rear trucks, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to vertical movements of said auxiliary truck to indicate surface variations, said last-named means comprising a pair of members carried by said car and having their lower ends in engagement with said auxiliary truck at opposite sides thereof, and a cross-bar, said members having their upper ends connected to said cross-bar.

1'7. A track recorder mechanism comprising a car mounted on front and rear trucks, said. car having an intermediate auxiliary truck mounted thereon between said front and rear trucks, indicating means, and means whereby said indicating means is actuated in response to vertical movements of said auxiliary truck to indicate surface variations, said last-named means comprising a track carried by said auxiliary truck transversely thereof, a pair of members carried by said car and having their lower ends in engagement with said transverse track at opposite ends thereof, and a cross-bar, said members having their upper ends connected to said cross-bar.

NICHOLAS MCLEAN TRAPNELL. 

